Perhaps "Fresh & Easy", which is opening a new grocery store on the corner of Rengstorff Avenue and Middlefield Road (next to the Starbucks) in 2009, would be willing to open a store up in downtown Mountain View as well.

Posted by eric
a resident of another community
on Sep 20, 2008 at 11:22 pm

So, the council thinks that, in bad economic times, that suddendly a grocery store will materialize and do a deal that wasnt economically feasible a few years ago in better times? When was the last time you saw a new full service grocery store open up that wasnt a mega-store a la the new Whole Foods? THAT is the new model for grocery stores! AND, they're exploring a residential development deal NOW??? If they do a deal, they'll be locking in the current cruddy market rates on a ground lease forever. That is just plain dumb.

If the council doesnt actually have a grocery store interested that will do a viable deal, then this should be tabled at once. Dont waste staff time on dead ends, and dont confuse what downtown residents want with what is economically viable.

Council members that live in downtown should recuse themselves from this vote-- they clearly do not have the city's best interests at heart, just their own interest in being a few steps closer to a grocery store (Hello? Nob Hill is right across the street!)

Posted by PA Resident
a resident of another community
on Sep 22, 2008 at 6:39 pm

Grocery store could have underground parking like Whole Foods, or rooftop parking. It may change some traffic patterns as local residents wouldn't have to drive for just a couple of items and even local office workers could do grocery runs in their lunch hours.

Posted by Daniel DeBolt
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Sep 29, 2008 at 11:10 amDaniel DeBolt is a registered user.

Shea homes has stopped development at Evelyn and Moorpark because of market conditions. The company said that aquiring bank loans wasn't the problem when I asked them a year or so ago. Also, the city has no control over when this project is finished, as it is on private property.